REPORT
/ INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Air pollution takes a double toll on babies' brains

Source: Los Angeles Times, Date: March , 2015

A common pollutant
in vehicle exhaust, power plant emissions and cigarette smoke can shrink white
matter in fetal brains and cause developmental damage during the toddler years,
a new study suggests. In 40 children examined by researchers, prenatal exposure
to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was correlated with reduced white matter on
the left side of children's brains during their early childhood. Those physical
changes in the brain's internal wiring also were correlated with slower
cognitive processing and with symptoms of attention deficit and hyperactivity,
according to the study published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.